Japan's online social scene isn't so social

By JAY ALABASTER , Associated Press Writer, Technology / Internet

In this website image grabbed from the Internet, Kae Takahashi shows her picture, bottom left, on her U.S.-based MySpace page and her photos and personal details can be viewed by anyone in this page. But the Tokyoite reveals little about herself on similar websites at home in Japan. (AP Photo)

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(AP) -- Like a lot of 20-year-olds, Kae Takahashi has a page on U.S.-based MySpace, and there is no mistaking it for anyone else's. It's got pictures of the funky Tokyoite modeling the clothes she designs in her spare time, along with her name, plus personal details and ramblings in slightly awkward English about her love life.

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Posted by fuchikoma 09/26/08 13:05

Rank: 5/5 after 1 vote

That's true, but it's hard to understand without taking the culture as a whole too.

For example, on boards like Futaba Channel and 2ch, you are completely anonymous - only what you post matters. If you really want to, then in some places you can take a hash of a password you enter to identify yourself from post to post.

But on the other hand, there are massively multiplayer games like those popular in South Korea where you pretty much have to meet up with people if you expect to progress. These are popular here, but only moreso across Asia including Japan.